Patentable/Patents/US-8825457
US-8825457

Systems and methods for material life prediction

PublishedSeptember 2, 2014
Assigneenot available in USPTO data we have
Inventorsnot available in USPTO data we have
Technical Abstract

Included are embodiments for predicting an expected life of a pliable material. Some embodiments of a method include modeling, by a computing device, the pliable material and simulating strain on the pliable material, wherein simulating strain on the pliable material includes creating a strain results file. Similarly, some embodiments of the method include identifying, from the strain results file, a point of strain energy density on the pliable material, accessing a life prediction curve associated with the pliable material to determine a material file, and creating a strain-material file by combining the strain results file and the material file. Still some embodiments of the method include executing software to predict the expected life of the pliable material and predicting the expected life of the pliable material.

Patent Claims
17 claims

Legal claims defining the scope of protection, as filed with the USPTO.

1

1. A method for predicting an expected life of a pliable material, comprising: modeling, by a computing device, the pliable material; simulating a strain on the pliable material, wherein simulating strain on the pliable material includes creating a strain results file; identifying, from the strain results file, at least one point of strain energy density on the pliable material; accessing a life prediction curve associated with the pliable material to determine a material file; creating a strain-material file by combining the strain results file and the material file; executing software to predict the expected life of the pliable material; predicting the expected life of the pliable material; and determining an effect of an available design space to determine a procedure for increasing the expected life of the pliable material, wherein the available design space includes a pillar height from about 10 microns to about 180 mm, a diameter from about 5 microns to about 170 mm, a tip radius from about 2 microns to about 170 mm, a draft angle from about 0 degrees to about 80 degrees, and a pillar spacing from about 5 microns to about 13 mm.

2

2. The method of claim 1 , wherein the pliable material includes at least one of the following: a rubber material, a polymer material, and a silicone material.

3

3. The method of claim 1 , further comprising predicting an expected life of all regions on the pliable material and wherein identifying the at least one point of strain energy density comprises utilizing a finite element analysis on the pliable material.

4

4. The method of claim 1 , further comprising determining an effect of available material space to determine a procedure for increasing the expected life of the pliable material.

5

5. The method of claim 1 , wherein the pliable material is utilized in at least one of the following processes: embossing, rotary sealing, bonding, and calendaring.

6

6. The method of claim 1 , wherein the pliable material comprises a plurality of distinct layers.

7

7. A computing device for predicting an expected life of a pliable material, comprising: a memory component that stores a first program, a second program, and a third program such that, when the third program is executed, the third program causes the computing device to perform the following: electronically model the pliable material; electronically simulate strain on the pliable material, wherein electronically simulating strain on the pliable material includes creating a strain results file; identify, from the strain results file, a point of strain energy density on the pliable material; access a life prediction curve associated with the pliable material to determine a material file; create a strain-material file by combining the strain results file and the material file; and predict the expected life of the pliable material; wherein the pliable material has a shore A value ranging from about 0 to about 99.995 and includes at least one of the following: a rubber material, a polymer material, and a silicone material.

8

8. The computing device of claim 7 , wherein the third program further causes the computing device to predict an expected life of all regions on the pliable material, and wherein identifying the point of strain energy density comprises utilizing a finite element analysis on the pliable material.

9

9. The computing device of claim 7 , wherein the third program further causes the computing device to determine an effect of an available design space to determine a procedure for increasing the expected life of the pliable material, wherein the available design space includes a pillar height from about 10 microns to about 180 mm, a diameter from about 5 microns to about 170 mm, a tip radius from about 2 microns to about 170 mm, a draft angle from about 0 degrees to about 80 degrees, and a pillar spacing from about 5 microns to about 13 mm.

10

10. The computing device of claim 7 , wherein the third program further causes the computing device to determine an effect of available material space to determine a procedure for increasing the expected life of the pliable material.

11

11. The computing device of claim 7 , wherein the pliable material is utilized in at least one of the following processes: embossing, rotary sealing, bonding, and calendaring.

12

12. The computing device of claim 7 , wherein the pliable material comprises a plurality of distinct layers.

13

13. A non-transitory computer-readable medium for predicting an expected life of a pliable material that stores a first program for modeling the pliable material, a second program for predicting the expected life of the pliable material, and a third program that, when the third program is executed, causes a computing device to perform the following: model the pliable material; simulate strain on the pliable material, wherein simulating strain on the pliable material includes creating a strain results file; identify, from the strain results file, a point of strain energy density on the pliable material; access a life prediction curve associated with the pliable material to determine a material file; create a strain-material file by combining the strain results file and the material file; and predict the expected life of the pliable material; wherein the third program further causes the computing device to determine an effect of an available design space to determine a procedure for increasing the expected life of the pliable material, wherein the available design space includes a pillar height from about 10 microns to about 180 mm, a diameter from about 5 microns to about 170 mm, a tip radius from about 2 microns to about 170 mm, a draft angle from about 0 degrees to about 80 degrees, and a pillar spacing from about 5 microns to about 13 mm.

14

14. The non-transitory computer-readable medium of claim 13 , wherein the pliable material includes at least one of the following: a rubber material, a polymer material, and a silicone material.

15

15. The non-transitory computer-readable medium of claim 13 , wherein the third program further causes the computing device to determine an effect of available material space to determine a procedure for increasing the expected life of the pliable material.

16

16. The non-transitory computer-readable medium of claim 13 , wherein the pliable material includes a plurality of distinct layers.

17

17. The non-transitory computer-readable medium of claim 13 , wherein the pliable material is utilized in at least one of the following processes: embossing, rotary sealing, bonding.

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Patent Metadata

Filing Date

January 14, 2011

Publication Date

September 2, 2014

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